TO MOST modern day Bollywood fans, she is known as a the senior of figure of a famous film family, but there is so much more to Jaya Bachchan than being a wife, mother and mother-in-law of famous film stars.
Jaya is considered to be one of the most technically gifted actresses in the history of Indian cinema, and before giving up stardom for family she delivered a remarkable body of work in a short space of time during the early seventies.
To mark the Bollywood legend’s 70th birthday on April 9, Eastern Eye went back in time to select her 10 finest film roles...
Guddi (1971): The young actress made a stunning Bollywood debut playing the schoolgirl obsessed with a movie star. She held her own against established stars including Dharmendra, who portrayed himself. The perfo-rmance won her a Filmfare Best Actress award and put her on the radar of filmmakers in commercial Hindi cinema.
Uphaar (1971): The actress gained another Filmfare Best Actress nomination in the role of a boisterous woman who gets married without understanding what it entails and finally realises what she must do for love. The neatly-crafted drama was the Indian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 45th Academy Awards, but not nominated.
Bawarchi (1972): The actr-ess held her own opposite Bollywood’s number one superstar Rajesh Khanna in the super-hit comedy drama of a cook who helps to transform a dysfunctional family. She delivers a perfectly-nuanced performance of an introverted woman who is bought out of her shell.
Parichay (1972): The stunning drama written and directed by Gulzar revolved around a kind-hearted tutor who heals the rift between a grandfather and his five grandchildren. Jaya starred opposite Jeetendra in the acclaimed drama based on the Bengali novel Rangeen Uttarain and once again was magical on screen.
Shor (1972): The actress starred opposite Manoj Kumar in the deeply-emotional drama about a father trying to raise enough money to fund an operation so his son can speak again. She plays one of those supporting the father, including in a challenge that puts his life at risk. This movie has one of the greatest motivational songs of all-time.
Koshish (1972): Jaya gained another Filmfare Best Actress nomination for the landmark movie written and directed by Gulzar. She stars opposite Sanjeev Kumar in the story of a deaf and mute couple struggling to make a life in a desensitised society. It would inspire a number of subseq-uent films, including Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s directorial debut Khamoshi: The Musical.
Zanjeer (1973): The superstar actress helped her future husband Amitabh Bachchan take his first steps towards becoming the future king of Bollywood in the iconic action film. Amitabh may never have landed the lead role of the vigilante cop in the game-changing movie if Jaya hadn’t agreed to star opposite him.
Abhimaan (1973): One of the all-time great Bollywood films garnered Jaya a Filmfare Best Actress award. She stars opposite Amitabh Bachchan in the story of a professional singer who marries a village girl, then gets envious when she overshadows him and behaves cruelly towards her. She goes through a range of emotions with a magnetic performance.
Kora Kagaz (1974): The multi-award-winning remake of 1963 Bengali film Saat Pake Bandha saw the actress star opposite Dev Anand in the story of a couple battling against a cross-class divide. The stunning performance earned Jaya yet another Filmfare Best Actress Award.
Sholay (1975): The record-breaking action film saw Jaya deliver a stunning performance as a widow slowly drawn towards a crook (Amitabh Bachchan) hired to protect her village. She brings grace and dignity with her perfectly-layered performance, which connected with audiences globally.
